The Simulacra moves on...

Well, I have finally got myself a proper host and have set up a shiny new version of the blog over at:

thesimulacra.net

or more accurately: thesimulacra.net/journal

Hopefully it looks a bit better, and will be a bit more versatile than the blogger platform.

So bookmark it up, I'll be posting there from now on.

Also, looks like someone has spammed the blog, but I am too lazy to go through and delete all the comments.

The Effect Of Music

Busy time has more or less ended so hopefully I'll have the updates up a bit more frequently in future.

I was listening to the radio a couple of days ago and heard this lady ring in complaining about the effects of rock music on the "Youth of today". Her arguments were laughable, including "no-one has ever come out of a classical concert and shot someone"citing the Columbine massacre as an event of this kind. Wagner? Hitler? Yes.

It did however make me think about what effect music can have on any of us, and what influence it can hold over the way we think and act. For example a lot of parents are worried about gangster rap and music that glorifies violence, calling for it to banned. However, for me personally I find it more important to look at where this type of music is coming from in the first place, and why people choose to listen to it. Censorship isn't going to solve the problem if the music is a result of an underlying attitude or ideal.

Generally, an artist writes a song about what s/he feels, as an expression of taught or emotion, to begin with at least. Certainly once you get to the mass market stage it can be argued that some music has no real feeling behind it, but at the roots of a genre the music is an expression of the feelings of an individual, or a group. So music with an affinity to violence has grown out of a person who feels the need for violence to express themselves. Why do people feel like this? And why would someone else choose to listen to such music? I think a parent should really be looking for the underlying reason their child is drawn to that kind of music.

Once things get big time and media pressure etc causes people to start listening to music that glorifies violence not out of choice, but out of conformity, then you have the possibility of people developing those kinds of ideals and feelings without really realising it. Is music on its own enough to make a young person pick up a gun? I doubt it, but music is a large part of culture, and culture shapes us in many ways we may not appreciate.

I know I'm not saying anything new here, just highlighting that it is wrong to blame music solely for problems, but appreciate things may have effects on us that we may not initially appreciate.

Mohr Philosophy

Just a quick update today (and probably for the coming week or so) as I am ridiculously busy.

This is a fantastic podcast/blog I have found called Mohr Philosophy by Todd Park Mohr, he is just starting a series on Nietzsche at the moment. He also posted some pictures of his house the other day, which made me pretty jealous...

So, check it out, well worth a listen.

Electric Sheep

http://electricsheep.org/
This is a really interesting screen saver program. It's made up of lots of linked renders called sheep (like the one below), which people can make themselves and submit. They all link up to create a morphing psychedelic visual experience. When it is on it downloads new sheep and circulates them round, with the more popular ones living longer.
Turn the lights out and put on some good ambient/trance and you are sorted.

Contentment

Can we ever really be content?

I always want more or better. I find it almost impossible to live in "the now". I always am thinking about how I can improve things, what would make things better, which often results in me missing what is good at the moment.

It's good to have hope, and dreams. But it's is also important not to miss the now, or life just passes by...

Money and Depression.

What does wealth and security give us? If you look at the people who get depressed, or moan about all their problems, they are not always the worst off people, but often the better off. At school, a lot of the people who became depressives were people from "stable" (or at least richer) homes, and I feel this might be partly due to wanting some sort of adventure outside of this stability. It's easy to take good things for granted if you have never experienced the bad.

Problems relating to depression are growing in this country, even though we are getting richer and richer. Perhaps this is because in the past we had to spend all our time working to afford food and shelter, while nowadays we have far more time to think. Why this thinking should lead to feeling bad is something I am less sure on...

Maybe it is related to the media, and all the bad news that is reported. Maybe it is just wanting attention, or social integration, or even love, which can sometimes be gained through letting people know you are suffering so they come and care for you. Maybe as jobs have become more detached from first hand production people don't feel worth in what they are doing. Maybe it's just "thinking about the wrong things"(something I am hoping to write more about later) etc etc

I don't know the answer, they are just some Ideas. But if money and security doesn't buy you happiness, what does?

A Scanner Darkly

For those of you who are interested, the official "A Scanner Darkly" website is online here, looks good. Some stills:

The Sound Of Silence.

Something I dislike about the social "norm" (in this country at least) is the way that, when you are in a group, there always needs to be speech. If nobody speaks for a few seconds, the situation begins to feel uncomfortable.

Why do we feel the need to cram every moment we are with other people with talking? We can't really be experiencing what is happening, or listening to life around us if we are talking over the top all the time. Not to say that talking isn't important, we can learn so much from talking to people, but most of what we feel cant be pinned down and formed into words. The very act of trying to force a feeling into speech destroys the experience of having that feeling in the first place, we move from "feeling" to "doing".

On the flip side, I guess we have a lot of time alone to listen and feel, and when we come together with others that is a time to try and express some of those sensations. To try and share some of our existence with others, to feel part of humanity, feel the warmth of communion with other souls.

I have been listening through the Reith Lectures on Radio 4, given by the conductor Daniel Barenboim. He has been talking about how he feels the ear has become neglected in this "visual society", and although I wouldn't agree with a lot of what he says, he has a point. Listening seems to have become a forgotten sense in some ways. I feel we might be missing out on so much by not taking enough time to really listen.

To listen, to really listen, alone or with others, is something so important, and so enlightening. Not necessarily to something specific, like music, but just to the world around us, the sound of living.

Night.

Night, So radically different to the day.
For most people, "life" is what happens during the day, at work, at school etc, meeting people, talking, feeling the world around you... So what does that make night?

I personally seem to spend a large chunk of my time "living" at night, I love the quiet, the relative solitude, I always seem to get more done, think more, grow more, at night. Perhaps because I don't have the distractions that I have during the day. Throughout the day I am restless, I feel there is something I should be doing, somewhere I should be, an obligation to be using my time “productively”; but at night, I feel my time is my own.

When I was younger, I did a paper round. This involved getting up at about 6am, and riding around the town delivering papers. Now, although I couldn't bring myself to get up every day at 6am now, there was something I loved about being out and about at that time in the morning. Riding around the town, barely seeing another soul about, when normally the town is full of people. It was as if the whole world was asleep, and I had this special view of things that few other people got to see.

Perhaps it is a similar thing with night, I feel detached from other people, from daily life, and this gives me a different view on everything around me. I generally read a lot at night, which probably means I blur the line between reality and fiction as it gets later, causing me to become even more detached. Night time becomes this place so much more in the mind, no more or less "real" than the day, just… different.

Naqoyqatsi Forum.

I have not looked at all of these yet, but some of them are excellent:

http://www.naqoy.com/forum/forum.asp

Naqoyqatsi is also one of the best films ever, well worth a watch.

The Search For Happiness.

What disturbs and depresses young people is the hunt for happiness on the firm assumption that it must be met with in life. From this arises constantly deluded hope and so also dissatisfaction. Deceptive images of a vague happiness hover before us in our dreams ... and we search in vain for their original ... Much would have been gained if through timely advice and instruction young people could have had eradicated from their minds the erroneous notion that the world has a great deal to offer them. - Arthur Schopenhauer

Pessimistic as this is, I think he does have a point here. We get promised so much in youth (and throughout life), none of which ever really delivers. Not to say there isn't a lot of Joy in the world, but often things never quite live up so expectation, especially from a materialistic point of view.

I think it's interesting how we can go searching for something and find the total opposite. For example: Some people play online video games to find social acceptance, which is never really found, and in the process lose any social life they had in the real world. Or, people look for happiness in materialism, but end up just as depressed as they ever were.

Seeing as the "happy" routes that are presented to us so often don't deliver, maybe it is only the paths with a less obvious destinations that really bring the happiness we are looking for.

Ch..ch..changes.

In an interview with Gilbert in Hermann Göring's (the Nazi) jail cell during the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials (18 April 1946):

Göring: "...But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship."

Gilbert: "There is one difference. In a democracy, the people have some say in the matter through their elected representatives, and in the United States only Congress can declare wars."

Göring: "Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."

I thought this was an interesting quote for two reasons:
1. It seems to support my post the other day about fear, and how people need and want fear, to a certain extent.
2. The way he talks about convincing people that they are being attacked, in order to make them submit. I guess this is how a lot of people would view the role of the "war on terror". It's interesting to see how ideas have been around for so long, but we often forget. It's easy to fall into "Oh, the world must be getting worse", or "look at all these new terrors" when that may not be the case. Not that I am saying the world isn't getting worse...

In a similar vein, I was watching a film from the 80's, and the director was talking about technology taking over our lives. And now, 20 years on, we are still talking about technology taking over our lives, like it is a brand new thing.

Perhaps at our core humans never really change...

Creation.

I think it is easy to forget what memories, reality, science and "fact" really are. Just because you can remember something doesn't mean it's true, just because experimental theory points to something doesn't mean it's true. There is no such thing as absolute certainty, almost any hypothesis is ultimately as viable as any other. I can say "magic makes the world go round, it looks like gravity, but that is just magic tricking us", and there is no way you could prove me wrong.

I hate to go all "society", but I think this is something that isn't appreciated in mainstream education. Science is presented as this almighty truth, when that is not necessarily the case. It's possible, if not scientific, that we were created by the flying spaghetti monster.

Obviously, science, logic and rationale have their place, life would be very difficult to live if you wanted to doubt everything around you all the time. But I also think it's important to take a step back now and then and ask "Is this true?", "Is this real?", "What if what I have been led to believe isn't the case?".

What I'm getting at is that we need to question what is real, what is true, and why; To be open to possibilities, to not necessarily discard things as crazy, certainly not without some understanding of them.

Idleness.

"Far from idleness being the root of all evil, it is rather the only true good." - Søren Kierkegaard

Do you agree? I think I agree to a certain extent, in that we can spend so much time making plans, and keeping busy, because we worry that if we don't we will miss out on things in life. There is a definite pressure to "live life to the full" so to speak, to experience as much as we can in our lifetime. I think, although this may have a place, it can be a bad mindset to adopt. How valuable is any experience if we don't take the time to appreciate what has happened to us, to look at how it felt, how it has changed us?

For me, the time of reflection, and appreciation, is just as important as the experience itself, and this reflection comes to me in a time of "idleness", of the body at least. I'm not sure if this was what Kierkegaard was getting at, but I think it is an important thing to consider none the less, especially with so many people saying "live life to the full".

Another Picture.

Wallpaper this time: (Click here for full size)

Picture.

Been having a go with Photoshop, made this which I was quite pleased with:

I'm using it as my new display picture.

Fear.

Brutality is respected. The people need wholesome fear. They want to fear something. They want someone to frighten them and make them shudderingly submissive. Why babble about brutality and get indignant about tortures? The masses want them. They need something that will give them the thrill of horror. - Ernst Röhm

Agree?

In modern society you only need to look at the popularity of newspapers like "The Daily Mail" to see just how much humans long to read about misery. I have heard people ring into radio stations convinced that if they leave their house they will be attacked by some young thugs, or blown up by terrorists. From basing too much of your reality on one source, in this case newspapers, you can eventually develop this view of the world. Of course, that is an extreme example, but I think all of us feel this fear to some extent or another.

Fair enough, the media publishes bad news because that is what sells, which must means that is what we want, to hear about suffering. The horror genre attempts to satisfy the same desire, people like to feel fear, to feel there is evil around them. Why? Perhaps this is part of human nature, perhaps it is something to be overcome.

If so, are we overcoming this desire? Brutality is perhaps less obvious than it was in say, roman times, but maybe we are just receiving the same sort of material through different channels. I think any change, or freedom from widespread fear, has to come from a change of attitude in each individual, not be presented by some media house. I don't think the media is really to blame for presenting this "STREETS OF TERROR" attitude to us, the whole population decides what the media should put emphasis on. And we decide this is what we want.

SOAP.

Snakes On A Plane:
http://www.tagworld.com/snakesonaplane
Yes, that is the actual title.
Brilliant.

The Flammarion Woodcut.

What is the use of education if we do not become creative, conscious and truly intelligent? Real education does not mean knowing how to read and write. Any stupid person, any fool can know how to read and write. We need to have intelligence and it only awakens within us when the consciousness awakens. - Samael Aun Weor

Redesign.

I have gone for a lighter blue look, hopefully it is a bit easier on the eyes for reading.

Podcast.

I am no great podcast listener, but I am liking this:
http://www.toeradio.org/
Not updated too often to lose track of.

"Bad men live that they may eat and drink, whereas good men eat and drink that they may live." - Socrates

Dead or Alive.

I am starting to believe more and more that there are two teirs of humanity, which I call "Alive" and "Dead".

Dead: A human that is alive, but exists only to eat/sleep and "do". With no reason behind their actions, no consideration, no wish to understand or question actions, no longing for internal understanding and honesty. People who get up, go to work, shape their reality through the TV/newspaper, go to bed, repeat. People who accept a generic "happiness", without consideration of what that word even means.

Alive: People that live, but do what the dead people don't. People who have depth, substance, who are really alive.

I think any person has a moments in each of these tiers, and at different times in life will be in diferent mindsets. I also think which tier you are in is (more or less) within the individuals control.

Waking Dream.

"The trick is to combine your waking rational abilities with the infinite possibilities of your dreams. Because, if you can do that, you can do anything." - Linklater

Wear Sunscreen.

Download: http://www.sugarbo.com/Baz.Lurhmann-Everybody.Is.Free.To.Wear.Sunscreen.mp3

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99 If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience…I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you imagine.
Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing everyday that scares you
Sing
Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss
Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.
Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch
Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.
Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.
Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body, use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own..
Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.
Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.
Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen…

Genius.

http://www.toeradio.org/archives/2004/10/program_10.html

"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." - Philip k. Dick

Update.

Laura Veirs on Radio 2:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/long/upcomingsessions.shtml

New A Scanner Darkly Trailer:
http://www.themoviebox.net/movies/2005/STUVWXYZ/Scanner-Darkly,A/trailer.php

Trek.

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1714106.html

http://earthacademy.org/interview01.html

Atrocity.

Deep in the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical universe that makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond logic.

Atrocity is recognized as such by victim and predator alike, by all who learn about it at whatever remove. Atrocity has no excuses, no mitigating argument. Atrocity never balances or rectifies the past. Atrocity merely arms the future for more atrocity. It is self-perpetuating upon itself — a barbarous form of incest. Whoever commits atrocity also commits those future atrocities thus bred.

Both by Frank Herbert

Darkplace.

I had forgotten how good this was:
http://avalonuk.com/tv/iframe_tv_darkplace_big.htm

Blue.